Stop Overcharging; Don’t Leave Your Gadget Plugged In For Overnight

These small computers easily accommodated in our pockets are Smartphone, right? Where does this smartness go when we leave the Smartphone plugged into the charger for an entire night? Just as Smartphone, power banks and other lithium-ion battery operated devices are also said to have intelligent circuitry.

How overcharging can damage the battery of the power bank or Smartphone when the smart and intelligent circuitry is safeguarding the battery and other components of the device? Modern gadgets are using lithium based (lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries) batteries.

Don’t Leave Your Gadget Plugged In For Overnight

These batteries are more efficient and safer than the nickel-based batteries used before the early 2000s. Nickel based batteries were said to exhibit the tendency of cyclic memory. When it was not fully charged in between cycle (say it was charged to 70%), the battery used to remember that point (70%) as its maximum storage capacity. However, this problem does not exist in the case of lithium based batteries. Is the way people charge the battery is going affect the capacity of the battery?

This answer is yes. Though, modern batteries are powerful. These are small and thin, able to store a decent amount of charge (in mAH). With the latest developments in the industry, the lifespans of these batteries are increased. And, these batteries are also charged very quickly. The small size of the battery has played an important role in reducing the size of the power bank, Smartphone or any other gadget. However, it does not mean these batteries are not vulnerable to overcharging.

Leaving the Battery Plugged In For the Entire Night

Experts rightly say that the battery is not going to explode if you leave it plugged into the charger overnight. These gadgets are really smart. Once the lithium ion or lithium polymer battery is charged to the fullest, the intelligent circuitry of the smart gadget automatically stops the current.

The battery is no longer getting charged. Therefore, leaving the Smartphone, power bank or any other similar gadget plugged into overnight should not cause any damage to the battery. The current is stopped. However, heat is a silent assassinator.

The Threat of Heat

Heat poses the biggest threat to lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries. Extreme temperatures (be it hot or cold) are not safe for the battery. Brittle parts of the battery become vulnerable at extremely low temperatures. However, heat causes more damage as compared to low temperature. The temperature at which the battery is getting charged matters, it matters a lot. 32°F to 113°F is the ideal temperature for charging the lithium based batteries.

However, the temperature at which the battery is discharged can be as low as -4°F. The battery is charged faster when the temperature is between 41°F and 113°F. And, when the temperature is below 32°F, the battery is less likely to get charged.

Here it is important to remember that lithium based batteries warm up while getting charged. The battery is charged faster when it is warmer. However, a point comes when the battery holds more charge. When the battery is fully charged, the excess power is given off as heat.

Modern gadgets are smart and you need not worry much about overcharging. Overcharging is not unsafe for your lithium based battery operated Smartphone, power bank, tablet or any other device. However, when you keep the device plugged into the charger for the entire night, the battery of the device gets hot and it remains hot for overnight. Overheating is the problem.

Therefore, avoid keeping your gadget plugged into the charger for an overnight. The capacity of any battery is decreased with time. However, there are some batteries charging practices that can keep it in the best shape.

Best Practices for Charging Lithium Ion Battery:

Lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries come with a fixed number of charge-and-discharge cycles. The battery capacity is slightly reduced when one cycle is completed. Now, you will definitely like avoiding the completion of cycles. Therefore, keep the battery charged between 40 to 80%.

Avoid charging fast. The battery becomes hot due to fast charging and this not good for the battery and the device. The excess heat shortens the lifespan of the battery.

The battery is an important part of a Smartphone, power bank and other battery operated devices. Therefore, you do not want the battery to be less efficient. You do want to start your day with the fully charged Smartphone. However, you should avoid keeping the device plugged into the charger for overnight.

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